Michigan Unemployment Rises Again! Ugh!

15.2% is the new ugly number. Almost makes you wish for the "good old days" when it was only 8.1%...which it was, twelve months ago. Was this the "hope and change" we bargained for?

As I mentioned in my last post regarding Michigan unemployment statistics, we are moving toward the highest unemployment rate Michigan has had since 1976 (when the current statistics, in their current form, were first tracked), when it was 16.9% in November 1982. The only other state to have unemployment over 15% since 1976 was West Virginia, whose unemployment peaked at 18.2% in March 1983.

Many believe we will surpass that rate before the end of 2009. Ugh.

Detailed data regarding Michigan employment and unemployment:
http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet?data_tool=latest_numbers&series_id=LASST26000003

Here are a couple of very telling graphs from that site...first, the number of unemployed in Michigan:

And the unemployment rate, expressed in terms of percents:

Perhaps Governor Granholm was wrong...maybe it will only be three years until we're blown away!

How Does Michigan's Unemployment Rate Stack Up Historically?

Those of us who find statistics an enjoyable and insightful pursuit might wonder, "Our unemployment here in Michigan is 14.1% now. How does that compare to everyone else?" Glad you asked.

Statistics Related to May 2009 Unemployment

Michigan has lost 302,800 jobs from May 2008 (4,180,400) to May 2009 (3,877,600). That's 7.2% of all the jobs recorded in May 2008—gone!

Michigan's closest "challenger" for the top spot is Oregon, at 12.4%. Rhode Island and South Carolina are tied for third at 12.1%.

Thirteen states and the District of Columbia have topped 10% unemployment this month.

Six states have unemployment rates below 6%: Iowa (5.8%), Nebraska (4.4%), North Dakota (4.4%), South Dakota (5.0%), Utah (5.4%), and Wyoming (5.0%).

Eleven states have unemployment rates that are less than half of Michigan's.

Michigan registered the single largest unemployment rate increase over the previous month (1.2% over April 2009). Michigan's was the second-largest jobless rate increase in the last twelve months (5.9%); Oregon's increased by 6.7%.

Historical Comparisons

The data I have been citing comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (your tax dollars at work!). The chart of data gives both this month's data plus the highest and lowest unemployment rates for any month since 1976; apparently there are differences in how unemployment rates were computed prior to that date which make comparisons less valid. Additional data is available here. Here are some notable facts:

Michigan's highest unemployment rate during this period was 16.9%, in November 1982.

Only two other states have ever had unemployment rates higher than Michigan's current rate in the past 33 years: Alabama (highest was 14.4% in Dec. 1982) and West Virginia (highest was 18.2% in March 1983).

Twenty states have never had a monthly unemployment rate of at least 10% since 1976.

Eight states had a higher unemployment rate in May 2009 than any month since 1976. All of them had unemployment rates of at least 9.7%.

Michigan's lowest unemployment rate since 1976 was 3.2% in March 2000...less than one-fourth of our current rate.

Michigan Unemployment Skyrockets!

As if it weren't bad enough already....

While the national unemployment rate jumped from 8.9% to 9.4% (an increase of 5.6%) from April to May, Michigan's unemployment rate leaped from 12.9% to 14.1% (an increase of 9.3%). Unemployment here in Michigan, viewed in terms of percent of increase, streaked ahead of the national rate. In absolute terms, we not only retain the highest unemployment rate in the nation, but expand our lead over the other 49 states.

Difficulties in the auto industry (were there any auto plants operating last month?) headline the increase. While company leadership (GM, Chrysler) deserves a share of the blame, many of these difficulties are tied mostly to the unions and to the government....and which party controls those right now?

Michigan Is STILL #1—In Unemployment

Yes, indeed: For the umpteenth month in a row, Michigan has secured the top spot in the unemployment rankings (see map here). Here are your top five—and notice the margin with which we lead!

• Michigan, 11.6%
• South Carolina, 10.4% (up 1.6%)
• Rhode Island, 10.3%
• California, 10.1% (up 1.4%)
• Oregon, 9.9% (up 1.6%)

A total of eight states, plus the District of Columbia, topped the 9% mark. The national average was 8.1%.

Forty-nine states did not see a drop in unemployment; Louisiana went from 5.5% to 5.1%. Wyoming still leads the other end of the list with 3.7% unemployment.

I thought Governor Granholm said we were "going to blown away"? Did she really mean that Michigan was going to blow everyone else away in this department?

And The "Good" News...

Governor Jennifer Granholm is please to report that for the first time in months, Michigan no longer leads the country in unemployment! We are now only 49th, with luckless Rhode Island (probably temporarily) taking over the 50th spot. Our unemployment rate is 8.7%, well behind Rhode Island's rate of 8.8%.

If you like with Jennifer Granholm has done with Michigan, you'll love what Barack Obama will do with America!